Rockford at or near rock bottom when it comes to lists

Rockford is miserable: Its neighborhoods are dangerous, its residents are obese and dissatisfied, taxes are high and business is still in the doldrums. That’s what list-makers say.

Here are a few lists that point out trouble in the Forest City.

Forbes’ America’s Most Miserable Cities 2013

Forbes said this about Rockford: “A three-decade decline in the manufacturing base has hurt Rockford’s economy and kept unemployment high. The metro’s recent 11.2 percent unemployment rate is one of the highest rates in the U.S. Another burden: high property tax rates.” The top 10 most-miserable:

1. Detroit

2. Flint, Michigan

3. Rockford

4. Chicago

5. Modesto, California

6. Vallejo, California

7. Warren, Michigan

8. Stockton, California

9. Lake County, Illinois

10. New York City

Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (satisfaction)

Gallup surveyed residents in 189 metropolitan areas in 2012-2013 asking if they were satisfied with their hometown.

1. Rockford, only 72.8 percent of the respondents were satisfied with Rockford.

2. Stockton, California, 73.3 percent

3. Bakersfield, California, 74.0 percent

4. Flint, Michigan, 74.2 percent

5. Jackson, Mississippi, 74.4 percent

6. Binghamton, New York, 74.6 percent

7. Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 74.9 percent

8. Columbus, Georgia, 76.6 percent

9. Trenton-Ewing, New Jersey, 76.9 percent

10. Fayetteville, North Carolina, 77.1 percent

Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (obesity)

In that same Gallup survey, respondents were asked for heights and weights and determined that the Rockford metropolitan area is one of the fattest in the country. The 10 most obese metro areas:

1. Huntington-Ashland, West Virgina-Kentucky-Ohio, 39.5 percent of the area is obese.

2. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas, 38.3 percent

3. Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Maryland-West Virginia, 36.7 percent

4. Yakima, Washington, 35.7 percent

5. Little Rock, North Little Rock, Cowat, Arkansas, 35.1 percent

6. Charleston, West Virginia, 34.6 percent

7. Toledo, Ohio, 34.2 percent

8. Clarksville, Tennessee-Kentucky, 33.8 percent

9. Jackson, Mississippi, 33.8 percent

10. (tie) Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Rockford 33.0 percent

Top 20 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in America

Rockford had two of the nation’s 20 most dangerous neighborhoods in a 2013 list based on 2011 data, according to a NeighborhoodScout ranking of FBI data from all 17,000 local law enforcement agencies in the U.S.

1. City Center, East St. Louis, 100.97 violent crimes per 1,000 people.

Considering two Rockford neighborhoods were among the most dangerous in the country, it’s not surprising the city as a whole made Forbes 2014 List of Most Dangerous Cities. It was based on 2010 data. The 10 most dangerous:

1. Detroit, Michigan

2. Memphis, Tennessee

3. Springfield, Illinois

4. Flint, Michigan

5. Anchorage, Alaska

6. Lubbock, Texas

7. Stockton, California

8. Tallahassee, Florida

9. Las Vegas

10. Rockford

Top 20 cities with largest property tax

Sperling’s Best Places ranks cities on a variety of factors. Here are the 20 cities with the highest property tax rate per $1,000 of home value. Rockford is the only area on this list that is not in New York, New Jersey or New Hampshire.

1. Amsterdam Metro Area, New York, $29 per $1,000 (New York is $19.15, U.S. is $11.20)

1. Syracuse Metro Area, New York, $29

3. Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York, $28

3. Gloversville Metro Area, New York, $28

3. Rochester Metro Area, New York, $28

6. Trenton-Ewing Metro Area, New Jersey, $27 (New Jersey is $23.69)

6. Batavia Metro Area, New York, $27

6. Jamestown-Dunkirk-Fredonia, New York, $27

6. Cortland Metro Area, New York, $27

6. Elmira Metro Rea, New York, $27

11. Claremont Metro Area, New Hampshire, $26 (N.H. is $22.10)

11. Utica-Rome Metro Area, New York, $26

11. Keene Metro Area, New Hampshire, $26

11. Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton Metro, New Jersey, $26

15. Ithaca Metro Area, New York, $25

16. Auburn Metro Area, New York, $25

16. Rockford Metro Area, $25 (Illinois Is $17.47)

18. Seneca Falls Metro, New York, $24

18. Concord Metro Area, New Hampshire, $24

18. Binghamton Metro Area, New York, $24

18. Olean Metro Area, New York, $24

18. Corning Metro Area, New York, $24

Illinois County Health Rankings

Winnebago County was the sixth most unhealthy county in Illinois in the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation 2014 rankings. (102 counties)

102. Alexander County

101. Pulaski County

100. Marion County

99. Vermillion County

98. Hardin County

97. Winnebago County

96. Fayette County

95. Saline County

94. Kankakee County

93. Macon County

Most Underwater Communities

According to Lender Processing Services, Rockford was No. 2 on the list of metro areas with the largest percentage of underwater mortgages at the end of 2013. The company estimates nearly three of every 10 mortgage holders in the area owe more than their home is now worth.

1. Jacksonville, North Carolina, 40.9 percent

2. Rockford, 29.7 percent

3. Ocala, Florida, 27.1 percent

4. Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida, 26.2 percent

5. Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey, 25.6 percent

6. Jacksonville, Florida, 24.3 percent

7. Tallahassee, Florida, 23.3 percent

8. Flint, Michigan, 23.0 percent

9. Deltona-Daytona Beach, Florida, 22.9 percent

10. Atlanta-Marietta, Georgia, 22.3 percent

Economic activity still lacking

According to the National Association of Home Builders, Rockford was No. 3 this year on the list of metro areas that are still well below normal economic and housing activity. The group measured the building permit, home price and employment levels of 361 metro areas. The metro areas farthest from their economic norms are: